Aprentice's Fury
by Nick Prasch
Summary: Selena and Arith are slaves running from a horrible past, ignorant of the dangers they have yet to meet. The question isn't when they'll be free, but if they'll survive to see freedom.


Selena was a 15 years old. Her blonde hair was streaked with ash and coal. She looked fragile but had extremely strong arms. However, she had no smile, and looked so grim that even her guards looked away when she stared, scrutinizing them. Selena was a slave to the king of a country called Slava. She was captured along with her brother and her father, but they had both died the previous year. Because of this it had made her thirst for vengeance. While she was working she met a boy named Arith and they soon became good friends. Soon after that she got to know one of the guards named Nervis and he told them he worked as a spy for Zaria, a country that was on tense relations with Slava.  
Arith was captured while traveling down a road with his father. During the fight that commenced, Arith's father was mortally wounded and left to die at the side of the road, alone. Arith was also 15 but older than Selena by two months. The color of his hair was very unique. It was brown, blonde, and black at the same time so no one could tell what his true hair color was. However, the reason for this was that Arith was no normal boy; he was a mage in training. Before he was taken slave he was apprenticed to Zar, a very powerful magician.  
"How much longer?" Selena asked as she, Arith, and Nervis crept under cover of night to the branches of a weeping willow.  
"Um, 'bout two minutes." Nervis said, glancing at the moon.  
They sat and waited for the watch to change. Soon their patience was rewarded by the sound of Nervis's boots crunching over to the guard that stood watch. It was time for Nervis's turn. The other guard walked into the castle.  
"He's gone, come on" Nervis whispered.  
Arith and Selena silently walked over to Nervis.  
"Come on Nervis, aren't you coming?" Selena asked as they reached the door.  
"I'm afraid I can't go with you. But if you reach Zaria, give the King this letter, and don't lose it, it's very important."  
"Don't fret yourself over it, I won't loose it." Arith reassured.  
"Here, this is for you two." Nervis said and reached for his pack. He pulled out a sword and a staff and waved away Arith's and Selena's thanks as Selena took the sword and Arith, the staff, "don't thank me know, wait until they've saved your lives. Remember to stay off the roads and keep a watch every night, even when you reach Zaria." Nervis said urgently.  
"We will," Selena whispered to reassure her long time friend.  
"Bye Nervis," Arith said.  
Then Arith and Selena stalked out, ready to face the dangers of the unknown. But Selena felt sad that they had to leave all those other slaves to the mercy of the Slavs.  
"Don't worry about them Selena, we're the best chance they've got. If we can reach Zaria, then we can come back to free them." Arith encouraged. Selena sometimes had the idea that Arith could read minds, though when she asked, he always denied it.  
But what if we don't make it? What if Nervis got caught trying to help us? What if you…"  
"What if, exactly! What if. So stop worrying and let's move."  
They walked in silence until it was daybreak.  
"Do you think we should still travel in daylight?" Arith asked Selena.  
"No, to many eyes. We should rest for tonight."  
"Okay."  
Arith and Selena laid out two blankets from Arith's pack and soon were fast asleep. Then for some reason unknown to Arith, he woke with a start and stared around. The sun was down and the moon was casting eerie shadows over the sleeping form of Selena. He carefully looked around after letting his eyes adjust to the darkness but saw nothing. Suddenly, he glimpsed a flash of metal. There was a soldier just outside their camp.  
"Selena, wake up!" Arith breathed in her ear. Selena slowly opened her eyes and started when she saw Arith so close to her ear. "There's a soldier just outside of the camp, to the left of that pine tree. See him?"  
"Yes, how…"  
"Don't worry, ill take care of him."  
Arith ducked behind another pine tree and crept around the soldier. He seemed interested in some object just left of Selena. Arith got right behind him and raised the staff to clout the soldier on the head, but he stepped on a branch and the soldier turned with his sword raised to block the staff. Arith and the soldier struggled silently for a while, but the soldier was well trained and was quickly on top of Arith. Suddenly a sword sprouted from of his chest and he fell over, motionless. Selena stood over him, holding Nervis's sword.  
"Thanks" Arith said gratefully. His muscles quaked with the exertion.  
"Any time." Selena wiped the blade on the grass beside the body.  
We should've kept a watch, like Nervis said." Arith said shakily.  
"I think we should leave now"  
"I do to. Let's angle a little more west so we can avoid the bigger cities"  
"Good idea. How much longer do you guess it will take until were out of Slava?" Selena asked Arith.  
"About, two weeks with horses, four to five without." Arith said. "Probably longer because we have to stay of the roads."  
Then I suggest we get some horses. We can disguise ourselves at the next town and see if we can buy two."  
"What if we can't afford two, or even one? Arith argued.  
"Well, we'll just have to steal them, though I'm hoping it doesn't go to that extreme." Then, as an afterthought, "how many miles did we cover yesterday Arith?"  
"Hm, 'bout five or six, but with horses we would be able to over twice that distance.  
The two friends walked in a companionable silence for a while, then,  
"Arith?" Selena asked  
"Yes?"  
"You say that you know some magic, right?"  
"Yes" Arith sighed.  
"Well, I was wondering, why don't you ever use it? Couldn't you have stopped the soldier with it? Selena tentatively asked.


End file.
